Numerous electronic devices not infrequently are subjected to use in operating environments in which the cooling capabilities of the instrument are inadequate and this can cause malfunctioning if not serious injury to the overheated electronic or other components. Either occurrence is intolerable in instrumentation of any kind and this is particularly serious in computer, word processors and in any of many of a wide variety of electronic devices. The device may be designed with adequate cooling capacity for a wide range of normal operating conditions but it is difficult to anticipate many abnormal operating conditions and particularly those in which the equipment is subject to abnormal ambient temperature conditions.
In recognition of these problems various proposals have been made heretofore for auxiliary equipment designed to supplement the manufacturer's standard product. Such auxiliaries commonly and typically require modification of the existing equipment to accommodate attachment of the auxiliary. Not only is this likely to result in injury to the original equipment or alteration of the ost instrument but it also requires special tools and the skill and expense of a skilled technician. Examples of prior supplemental cooling accessories are found in the Koltuniak et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,780; Lee U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,206; Kirchner U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,213; Hicks U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,286; Hicks U.S. Pat. Design No. 268,283 and Rapp U.S. Pat. Design No. 275,787. Koltuniak et al proposes an artificially cooled heat exchange coil located in a housing attachable to a rectifier unit. Lee proposes providing an electronic chassis with a heat sink subassembly and Kirchner discloses a computer having an air cooler enclosed in his folding computer display screen. Rapp and the two Hicks patents are the only ones proposing a unitary cooling accessory mountable upon the exterior of a computer but each of these accessories require alteration of the computer housing and are subject to the objections and disadvantages pointed out above.